Tablet-machine.



A. M. HANGE.

TABLET MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 12, 1909.

Patented June 7,1910.

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OGRAPNERS. wasmucwn ANDREW B GRAHAM c0. Puma-um A. M. HANGE.

TABLET MACHINE.

- APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 12. 1909. 960,902. Patented June 7, 1910.

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' UITED STATES ANTHONY M. HANGE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORTO HANCE BROTHERS & WHITE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A FIRM.

TABLET-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 12, 1909.

Patented June 7, 1910. Serial No. 501,711. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY M. HANon, of Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Tablet-Machines, whereof the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvements in machines for makingtablets or pills by compression.

uch machines normally include a die with plungers reciprocatingtherethrough, both from above and from below, a horizontallyreciprocating feed shoe, by which the material is fed to the die, and bywhich also the tablets made by the last stroke ejected, and means foroperating the opposed plungers, so that their ends meet within the dieto effect compression of the tablet, whereupon the upper plunger israised from the die and the lower plunger advanced to bring thecompressed tablet flush with the surface of the die, for ejecting by thefeed shoe.

Machines comprising the elements thus recited are of standardconstruction, and include among other things, mechanism for regulatingwith great nicety the movements of the feed shoe and of the plungers. Itis upon the delicacy of the regulating means that the efficiency of themachine depends.

My present invention relates specifically to certain improvements inmachines of this type, designed to overcome difliculties which have beenexperienced in the use of such machines, and particularly relates to theguides within which the feed shoe reciprocates over the surface of theplate, to certain means for rendering the motion of the lower plunger-smore accurate, and to means for withholding the feed shoe from itsreciprocatory motion, while permitting the motion of the plungers tocontinue as usual.

For the more ready understanding of my invention, it is necessary todescribe briefly the entire machine, and at the proper point of thisdescription, I will include a description of the parts to which mypresent invention relates, with more full statement of the diflicultieswhich are overcome by said invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I,

is a front elevation of a tablet machine contaming my invention. Fig.II, is a central vertical section of the same taken on the line II, II,of Fig. I. Fig. III, is a perspective View of the guide block upon whichthe feed shoe traverses. Fig. IV, is a detail perspective view of one ofthe guide plates of the block, shown in Fig. III. Fig. V, is afragmentary sectional view taken on the line V, in Fig. I.

In the said figures, the machine is supported by a frame'formed bystandards 1, and 2, terminating at their bottoms in base plates 3, anda, which rest upon suitable legs 5. The standards are united at theregion of their base plates by a web 6, which terminates at its top inthe plate 7, and at its lower end in a downwardly extending yoke 8. Adriving shaft 10, is journaled in the bearings 11, and 12, formed at thetops of the standards, and carries tight and loose pulleys 15, and 16.Secured upon the shaft 10, between its bearings, is an eccentric 17,having a strap 18, whose outer periphery is provided with gear teeth 19.with the curvature of the strap 18, and on each of its faces, is formeda groove 20, in close proximity to the periphery. Within the grooves 20,are received lugs on the block 21, and plate 22, of the eccentric arm23, which is clamped upon the strap 18, by bolts 25. The arm 23, carriesa worm 26, which is arranged to engage the teeth on the strap 18. Uponloosening the bolts 25, the arm 23, and strap 18, may be relatively andaccurately adjusted within the range of the slots 20. By theconstruction of the adjustable parts the throw of the eccentric isunaltered, but the timing of its motion, may

e very accurately regulated. A horizontal cylindrical pin 30, in whichthe arm 23, terminates is pivotally connected to the squared end 31, ofthe upper plunger case 32, which carries at its lower end a convenientplurality of plungers 33. The plunger case is guided in its motionwithin a box 35, formed on a web 36, which extends between thestandards. A lower plunger case 50, also provided with plungers 51, isslidably mounted within a cylindrical sleeve 52, formed on the web 6,already described. The lower plunger case 50, is provided with a slot53, which receives one end 54, of the Concentric lever 55, whichreceives oscillation as follows:-

Upon the driving shaft 10, and directly adjacent to the outer face ofthe bearing 11, is mounted a cylindrical. cam 30, having the cam groove(31, with an offset (32, whereby an oscillating motion is imparted tothe lever arm (33, which carries at its'outer end a roller (3 1, whichengages the said cam groove (31. The lever (33, is fulcrumed upon a pin(35, mounted in a bearing (36, and is provided with a lateral curved arm67, which carries an adjustable sliding block 70. to which is pivoted at71, a link 72, which is in turn pivoted to the mile arm 55, of the leverUpon the accurate relation of the parts just described, and upon theniceness of their adjustment depends the control of the movement of thelower plungers, and I have found that a very slight variation in therelation of these parts so affects the motion of the lower plungers asto alter the amount of material received within the die and compressedwith each stroke of the plungers. The point where the result of wear ismost likely to effect a disadjustment of these relations, is the fulcrumof the lever 55, which is pivoted within the standard 1. Accordingly,with a view to making possible the maintenance of accurate centering atthis point, I fulcrum the said lever upon a tapered pin 57, receivedwithin a correspondingly tapered aperture piercing said lever Theposition of the lever within the slot of the standard 1, which receivesit is accurately maintained, by the corresponding dimensions of theparts. Accordingly a slight lateral movement of the tapered pin issui'iicicnt to compensate for any lost mot-ion occasioned through wearof the parts. This is more clearly illustrated in Fig. V, where thetapered pin 57, is provided at its end with nuts 58, 59, by the properadjustment of which wear may be compensated for and the properregulation of the size of the tabletproduced by the machine accuratelymaintained.

The adjustment and timing of the motion of the lower plungers isobtained as follows :The block 70, may be adjusted to any desiredposition along the curved lateral arm (37, of lever (33, by themanipulation of the hand screw 75, which is rotatably mounted in aswivel T6, at the outer end of the said arm (37. and is in threadedengagement with a pivoted nut 77, on the block 70. 3y this means theextent. of motion imparted to'the lower plunger may be regulated so asto determine the amount of material used in producing the tablets, aswill be hereinafter more fully explained.

The motion of the plunger 50, may also be further regulated by a handwheel 80, whose axis carries a worm S1, and is mounted upon the block70. The said \vorm 81', engages a toothed wheel 82, also mounted on theblock 70, whose axis 83, carries the eccentric pin 71, about which theupper end of the link 72, is pivoted.

To the table 7, already mentioned, is bolted a die block 85, in which isclamped a die so, provided with a plurality of apertures 87. corresiionding to the plungers mounted on the ends of the plunger cases and50. A feed shoe 120, is adapted to traverse horizontally a slideway onthe face of the die block 85, thus carrying a supply of material forwardto the die, in position to be drawn therein by the descent of the lowerplungers. This feed shoe is in communication, by means of a flexiblepipe 121, with a reservoir 122, supported on brackets 123, whichreservoir contains the material from which the tablets are to be formed.It is important that the feed shoe during its reciprocatory motion shallrest lirmly and tightly upon the face of the die block, in order thatair may not be drawn in under its edges, and in order that there may beas little escape of powdered material as possible with accompanyingclogging of the moving parts. To this end the guide shoe runs in theslideway subject to the pressure of spring pressed plates 125, 125, oneon either side of the feed shoe, and which engage and press down uponits side flanges 12 t, 1211. These plates, shown in Fig. IV, areprovided at each end with notches 126, and are removably secured to thedie block 85, by engagement of the bolts 127, and 128, of which theformer are stud bolts and the latter swivel bolts, pivoted on pins 129,at the rear end of the die block. All these bolts carry wing nuts 180,and springs 131, whereby the plates 125, are yieldingly maintained understrong pressure against the block. By this construction, the readyremoval of the plates 125, permitted by loosening the thumb nuts 130, onthe swivel bolts 128, which may thereby be swung back and the plates125, withdrawn from under the springs on the bolts 12?, at the other endof the block. This ready removal of the plates is desi able, in order topermit cleaning of the slideway, which occasionally becomes clogged byaccumulation of material escaping from under the feed shoe. .\t the sametime, the springs 131, a llord constant but adjustable pressure, holdingthe feed shoe tirmly in its seat on the sl ideway.

.ieciprocatory motion imparted to the. feed shoe 120. by the arm 150, ofthe lever 151, which is pivotally attached to the said shoe by means ofthe link 1.52. The said lever 151, is secured to a rock shaft 155, whichis journaled within a bearing 156, on the standard 1, of the machine,and carries on its outer end the roller arm 157, having a roller 158,which is maintained against a cam 159, on the left outer end of thedriving the material shaft 10, by and 162, which are secured to theframe of the machine, and exert their tension upon the lateral arms 163,and 16a, of the lever 151. Thus the springs draw the feed shoe forwardover the die at the proper time, while the cam 159, in turn positivelyretracts it. The contour of the cam 159, is clearly shown in dottedlines in Fig. II, and its low portion 160 (corresponding to the forwardthrow of the shoe 120), is notched so as to agitate the material in theshoe, and thus help fill the cavities formed in the die 86, when thelower plungers 51, are in their lower position within the apertures 87,of the said die.

In order to render the shoe inactive, without the necessity of stoppingthe machine, (as for instance to adjust dies or to permit lubrication ofthe punches), I provide a hand lever 170, which is secured to a shaft171, which is journaled within and extends through the standard 1, andcarries at its inner end the a m 172. The said arm 172, supports at itsouter end a pin 17 3, which is received in the slot 174, of the link175, which is pivoted to the outer end of the arm 16a, of the lever 151.

In the normal position of the hand lever 170, as shown in Fig. II, thelink 175, slides idly along the pin 173, in the arm 172, but by turningthe said lever to the right, against the pull of springs 161, and 162,until it encounters the lug 180, on the standard 1, the said pin 17 3,is thrown to the opposite side of the dead center, and thus retains theshoe 120, in its retracted or idle position, against the pull of thesprings 161, and 162.

To prevent the plungers 51, on the lower plunger case from flying upbeyond the upper face of the die 86, by their momentum when the machineis running rapidly, I provide the lower end of said case with a reducedthreaded portion 190, which carries the stop nut 191, and a jam nut 192,which when the upper limit of motion is reached, engage the lower faceof the sleeve 52, in which the plunger case 50, is guided.

In order to confine the strain of compression to the frame of themachine, the lower plunger ase 50, at the time of compression, restsupon an adjustable bolt 200, which is threaded into the yoke 8, andprovided with a jam nut 201.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The material is fed to theshoe 120, from the reservoir 122, by the gravitation and also by themotion of the said shoe, under control of the cam 159. The parts of themachine are so adjusted that the lower plungers retract in the die,while the shoe 120, is at its forward position, and the cavities thusformed in the die are efiectively filled, in which operation theagitation of the action of the springs 161, the controlling cammaterially assists.

due to the notched portion of Further rotation of the driving shaft 10,causes the recession of the feed shoe and the descent of the upperplungers, which enter the now tilled cavities in the die, and therebycompress the entrapped material into tablets or pills, the shape ofwhose faces depends upon the contour of the ends of the plungers. Motionof the upper plungers, depends on the eccentric 17, and that of thelower plungers on the action of the grooved cam 60, and these twomotioncreatin means, are so related bring about the position of theparts, as described in the foregoing paragraph. After the compression,both plungers rise and the finished tablets are thereby elevated to theplane of the upper face of the die block. At this time the feed shoeagain advances to recharge the die cavities, and its forward end at thesame time pushes the finished tablets to the chute 205, which is securedto the front of the die block whereupon they may be collected within asuitable receptacle which may be placed upon the shelf 20G, supported onthe frame of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a machine forcompressing tablets, the combination with the die and upper and lowerplungers; of means for reciprocating the lower plunger, comprising apivoted lever, in engagement with both the plunger and a reciprocatingmember, the pivot hole of said lever being tapered, while the pivot issimilarly tapered and screw threaded at either end with nuts upon bothscrew threaded ends whereby its endwise position may be accuratelyadjusted to take up wear of the pivot hole.

2. In a machine for comprising a die and opposed reciprocating plnngers;a slide-way for a feed shoe, flush with the face of the die; platesoverhanging said slide-way at either side, and in engagement with theside flanges of the feed shoe said plates being slotted at both ends,and being removably held in their position by bolts passing through saidslots, and which are swiveled within the slide-way whereby they may beswung out of the slot to permit the ready removal of the plates.

3. In a machine for compressing tablets, comprising a die, and opposedreciprocating plungers; a feed shoe sliding over the face of the die; apivoted lever through which motion is imparted to the feed shoe; arotating cam engaging one end of said lever and by which the feed shoeis at intervals positively retracted from its position over the die; aspring by the tension of which said lever is moved to again force thefeed shoe over the die; and means whereby said lever may be lookedagainst the tension of g to each other, as to compressing tablets,

said spring, whereby it is prevented from returning the feed shoe overthe die.

4. In a machine for compressing tablets, comprising a die, and opposedreciprocating plungers; a feed shoe sliding over the face of the die; apivoted lever through which motion is imparted to the feed shoe; aretating cam engaging one end of said lever and by which the feed shoeis at intervals positively retracted from its position over the die;springs by the tension of which said lever is moved to again force thefeed shoe over the die; and means whereby said lever may be lockedagainst the tension of said springs, and prevented from returning thefeed shoe over the die, said means comprising a hand lever 170, aslotted link 175, in engagement therewith, and pivotal con neetionsbetween the other end of said link and the lever by which the motion ofthe feed shoe is controlled.

5. In a machine for compressing tablets, comprising a die and opposedreciprocating plungers a lower plunger case; a cylindrical sleevesurrounding said plunger case; means for positively and verticallyreciprocating said plunger case within said sleeves; and an adjustablestop nut on the lower end of the plunger ease whereby the upwardmovement of the same is definitely limited.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, this ninth day of June, 1909.

ANTHONY M. HANCE.

\Vitnesses JAMES H. BELL E. L. FULLERTON.

